Survivors
by Ender2
Summary: After the movie ends, the crew of the Neb must journey to Zion. While they're there, something awful happens. Yes, it's UPDATED!
1. Chapter 1

"I came to tell you how it's going to begin

Survivors

By Ender

"I came to tell you how it's going to begin."

Trinity watched as Neo hung up the phone.They were heading towards Zion for major repairs on the Nebechanezzer, but Neo had wanted to make one last visit to the Matrix before they got there.The screens on the battered Neb gave off an eerie glow as they revealed Neo in his usual black trench coat and sunglasses in the fake reality of the Matrix.Trinity was filled with awe as he flew from telephone booth into the clear blue sky with ease.Even after Neo was discovered to be the One, a part of Trinity still couldn't believe his power.

Neo got to a hard-line and picked up the phone, bringing him back to the Real World.Trinity pulled out the plug in his head, then helped him out of his chair.He was still weak from the injuries he had received from his lethal encounter with the agents a week earlier.She helped him to take a few steps without falling, then relayed him his orders, although she would've liked him to stay with her for a few minutes.

"Tank wanted to see you down in the engine room," Trinity said as Neo pulled her closer to him.

"Can it wait," he asked playfully in her ear, not letting go.

"Get going."Trinity gave him a little shove towards the engine room as she grinned at him.

"Oh fine," Neo gave a little sigh and started to shuffle his feet as he started away from her.Trinity watched him as he started to walk normally away, still grinning at his act. She was about to go back to her work when she heard a crash followed by a long string of muttered curses from Neo's direction.Trinity had to stop herself from laughing uncontrollably.In the Matrix, Neo was an all-powerful force that was to be feared, but in the Real World he was an everyday, clumsy guy who tripped over the many wires on the floor of the ship.Trinity couldn't believe her luck.

Immediately after the fateful kiss that Trinity couldn't forget, she had helped the drained Neo limp to the med. room.She treated his numerous injuries in silence, amazed at the lack of bullet holes that should have been scattered throughout his chest.He had to rest for the next few days, regaining his strength.Trinity, Morpheus, and Tank visited him, each taking a watch to make sure that Neo and the Neb were holding up.The memory of Neo trying to eat the usual gruel for the first time after the incident made Trinity want to laugh even harder.

After Trinity regained some of her composure, she went to talk to Morpheus about their visit to Zion.Many things needed to be done before they got there, and Morpheus wanted to brief her on some of them.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neo stood next to Tank as he stared at the huge engine that took up most of the space in he room.He was amazed at its sheer size and power to run the whole hovercraft.

"I thought I could give you a quick lesson on some things, so it'll be easier for you to help out later on," Tank said, eyes still on the engine.He moved closer to it and pointed out a small section.

"This is the main power grid where the hover pads are powered and this is where...

Ten minutes later, Neo still had no idea what Tank was talking about.

"You got that," Tank asked with a questioning look.

"Uhh...," Neo muttered as he started to look at the ground.

"You've never used a complex machine other than a computer in you life, have you," Tank said, a small smile creeping onto his face.

"Does a toaster count?"

Tank just grimaced and shook his head.

"I can't wait to see you with a welder."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morpheus sat on the pilot deck of the Neb with Trinity as he flew the ship from the crowded control panel.

"I've set a course towards Zion that bypasses most of the heavy Squiddie concentration," he told her."It's a miracle the Neb is even flying, and we need repairs badly.We should arrive in around a week."

"What about Neo," Trinity asked, speaking the thought that had been on the whole crew's minds.

"No one will know hat Neo is the One, except for some of the highest officials in Zion.We can't risk anything happening to him," Morpheus said with a grave face.

After breathing an internal sigh, Trinity felt relieved at his words.She knew that there would be more traitors in the resistance, more like Cypher.Without meaning to, Trinity looked back at the four covered bodies that were laid out on the floor on the main deck.The fifth was set apart from the others, hidden under a table.

"We'll also take... the bodies to be buried in Zion."Morpheus turned away, looking at the panel.He changed the subject quickly.

"Speaking of Neo, let's go see how he's doing."

Trinity nodded and set the ship on autopilot.They started to look for their shipmates, but found nothing in the engine room.Suddenly, they heard a voice that sounded suspiciously like Tank scream 'Holy shit!' and a loud screech of metal on metal.They ran to the room where it came from as fast as they could.They found Tank backed up against a wall as Neo held onto a smoldering welder.In between them was a twisted and mangled piece of metal.Neo looked sheepishly in their direction.

"Not bad," Tank managed to choke out," but I think you should stick to training in the Matrix for now."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Official Disclaimer:All of the characters and Matrix references in this fan fic belong to the Wachowski brothers and the people that made the movie The Matrix.I'm not making any money from this and the characters are being used without permission.


	2. Chapter 2

Official Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, places, or things used in

this fic, they belong to Andy and Larry Wachowski. I am not receiving any

money for this story and no copyright infringement was intended.

Author's Note: I just wanted to thank everyone for the reviews and criticism

of the original installment of this story, including your asking for more

parts. It's taken me a while to get around to finishing it, since I had to

finish another huge fic. Now that that's done, I can start to finish this

one. This will probably take me a while to post since my computer has a

problem with formatting things, so bear with me and keep checking back. Oh,

by the way, this will be a lot longer than the first one, as requested. This is my pitiful attempt at an action fic.

Author's Note #2: Sorry, I'll shut up soon, but if you find that a person in

this story is acting out of character, tell me and I'll try to fix it up. I

really hate it when that happens myself, but the longer the story, the harder

it is to keep the characters acting like they should. Thanks!

Survivors- Part 2

By Ender

Neo threw the welder on the floor with a loud clang as he followed the

laughing Morpheus and Trinity out of the room to the loading chairs. He was

careful to avoid the mass of wires lying on the deck, remembering days

previously where he had tripped and slammed into a bulkhead. Neo shook his

head at the thought, asking himself why he couldn't have the same sense of

gracefulness and control he possessed in the Matrix.

As he stepped into the chair, Trinity locked him in and delicately

inserted the long, painful plug into the base of his neck. Tank, who had edged cautiously around the smoldering welder and out of the room, flopped down in the chair and uploaded a martial arts program Neo had requested. Trinity also plugged in, ready to spar with Neo once he was done.

The remaining crew members went back to work, the gloom that had been

lifted momentarily returning as the daily routine was carried out. And

though all of them looked forward to their docking in Zion, the seriousness

of their situation stayed with them, the four covered bodies in the corner a testament to this fact.

-------------------

Neo had just finished his training for the day and was heading to take a shower before meeting Trinity in the mess hall to eat dinner. He wiped the

sweat off his forehead with his sleeve, then retrieved a towel from his room.

He couldn't wait to see the woman he had come to realize that he couldn't

live without.

All of a sudden the quiet din of the ship was broken by an alarm that

filled the deck with ear-piercing shrieking. Neo stopped immediately, fear

tensing his muscles, and started in a dead run toward the piloting deck. The

noise was unbearable, causing Neo to grind his teeth as he sprinted down the hall, his eardrums vibrating painfully.

Neo had gotten good at dodging the mess on the floor, but in his rush he

tripped over a cable in front of the ladder leading to the pilot's chairs.

His shoulder slammed into a pipe protruding from the wall, causing him to

swear involuntarily under his breath. Despite the pain he kept going and

leapt up the ladder clutching his throbbing shoulder with his free hand and

saw...

Morpheus, Tank, and Trinity calmly looking out the Neb's window.

Trinity turned to look at him as he sunk to the floor panting and

grasping his injured shoulder with a grimace of pain.

"What's wrong, Neo?" Morpheus had turned around, too. Neo jut groaned

and pointed with his good arm to the flashing light on the console that

controlled the horrendous noise.

"But I thought...," Trinity's head whipped around as she knelt next to the suffering Neo. "Tank."

"Oh jeez, sorry Neo, I forgot to tell you. We're close to Zion, the

alarm was going to tell us when we arrived and were close enough to dock."

Tank shot Morpheus a sheepish look, then looked back at Neo. "You okay?"

"Back to the med bay," Morpheus answered for him. "Trinity?"

Trinity nodded, wrapped her arm around Neo's waist, and helped him hobble back to the room.

"You really need to stop hurting yourself." She grinned mischievously.

"It'll start to damage your health." Neo smiled back, then answered.

"Are you serious? Wow, you must've uploaded ten medical programs to

make that prognosis." He wrapped his arm around her protectively and glanced behind him. "Besides, it wasn't my fault. Tank probably set this up for

revenge."

"I heard that!" Tank shouted to them. Neo and Trinity laughed to themselves as Tank's grumbling echoed down the hall, a much-needed break in the usual melancholy of the ship.

--------------------------

After patching Neo up, Trinity brought him back to the pilot deck to watch their docking in Zion. Neo was puzzled at the sight of his crewmates staring intently at a gray stonewall. Morpheus pointed out the window and

spoke with reverence as Tank murmured into a radio.

"There it is. Zion." Neo looked ahead nervously.

"It's...a wall." Trinity started to laugh quietly in the corner of the

cabin.

"No, Neo," Morpheus replied with a smile. "Zion is beyond the wall."

Neo opened his mouth, intending to ask how in the world they were going to pass through a solid stonewall when a crack of light appeared in the dark

rock. He watched in amazement as the thin crack grew larger, then started to

split apart completely, pieces over fifty meters high slowly retracting to

admit them. Stunned, he could only watch as Morpheus guided the ship through a tunnel and onto a landing platform with different color lights flashing on their arrival. Neo looked over a metal building in front of them, his gaze resting behind it on a large city with medium sized buildings and people

filling its streets.

"What do you think, Neo? Nice place?" Tank questioned in a playful

voice.

"Whoa," Neo muttered to himself. Trinity glanced at him, a grin still apparent on her beautiful face.

"I love a man who has a way with words." Neo looked over at her, his eyes

gleaming.

"You better."

The crew opened the Neb's hatch and stepped out into the brightly lit gravel-landing pad. Trinity told Neo that they had to be checked out for any problems before being let back into the city. He looked so nervous about the

screening that Morpheus explained that it only involved a quick scan with a

laser-powered machine. After giving Neo the basics of the procedure,

Morpheus turned back to greet an approaching figure, an old friend of his

named Blitzkrieg, and led them into the scanning center.

After the examination, which Neo admitted to be easy and painless, the

crew was told that they were able to explore the city until the next morning,

when they were to report to the military headquarters of the Resistance.

They split and went their separate ways, leaving the Neb to be repaired by

the experienced teams that operated in Zion.

--------------------------------

The next morning, Neo awoke as the artificial sun's rays hit his eyes,

momentarily blinding him. He felt Trinity lying next to him, pressed up into

his side and put his arm around her, pulling her closer to him. They had

both come back to her apartment and fallen fast asleep, both exhausted from

the long day of walking around the city as Trinity gave him a tour. She

laid her head on his shoulder, then slowly opened her eyes as she woke up.

"Good morning," Neo murmured. She draped an arm across him, smiling.

"Morning." Trinity shielded her eyes from the intense sunlight as she

turned to look at him. "What time is it?" She leaned over to check he clock

and shot up as she saw the numbers glowing 8:30. "Crap, we have to go." Neo

moaned as she threw off the covers.

"You're kidding." Trinity turned to look at him.

"We have fifteen minutes before we're supposed to be there."

"Shit." Neo threw on a new set of clothes as Trinity did the same, then

turned to go out the door. As he opened it he saw two men with what looked

like guns standing outside, causing him to automatically take a fighting

stance.

"Easy, Neo," Trinity told him, grabbing his elbow. Neo relaxed reluctantly as she explained. "They're here for your protection."

"We will follow you to headquarters, to make sure you are safe," the

guard informed Neo. "Please, go ahead."

Neo felt a shiver run down his spine as he realized that he actually

needed a bodyguard. He took Trinity's hand as they started to weave through

the crowd of people, but still couldn't shake the feeling that they were

being watched. It's just the tails, he reassured himself, but during the

entire walk he couldn't fight the feeling that someone else was watching their every move.

------------------------------------

He decided to follow the pair until they disappeared into the light gray headquarters of the forsaken Resistance. He was tired, after following them

all day and night, and wanted to get back to his home and sleep. Angry at

the fact that he wasn't able to carry out the mission that had been given to

him, he felt like smashing the radio he held in his hand. However, he knew

that he needed it to contact the boss and report. He flicked the switch to

turn it on. Soon a voice crackled through, clearly irritated.

"What?"

"Sir, he's at the headquarters."

"You didn't get him."

"They're guarding him now, Sir."

"Damn. That makes our job harder."

"Your orders, Sir?"

"Continue to follow him."

"Yes, Sir."


	3. Chapter 3

Official Disclaimer: Okay, the usual. I don't own these characters/places, they belong to the Wachowski brothers. I'm not making any money off of this, and no copyright infringement was intended.  
  
Author's Note: Well, here's part 3. Yes, it does end in something like a cliffhanger, but part 4 is being posted with it, so please don't kill me. The thing about telling me if someone is out of character still stands. Reviews are great, they really help me write much better. Oh, and yes, I know the part about the toaster (in this part, not part 1) seems weird, but I did need to insert some comedy, and the crew's individual senses of humor never were really explored in the movie, so I took a shot at it. All right, all right, here's the fic. Yes, Neo is supposed to be something of a dork, but he's a loveable, really hot dork!   
  
Author's Note #2: Got to have one of these! ;) I'm trying to fix the formatting problem from Chapter 2; it's probably my psychotic computer. Sorry!  
  
Survivors- Part 3  
  
By Ender  
  
  
  
Neo, still holding Trinity's hand, followed Tank and Morpheus through the winding corridors of the Resistance's headquarters. With its dark grey metal walls, it seemed to be a replica of the Neb, wires and all, though it didn't have the same feeling of home the hovership did. The dim lighting flickered on and off randomly as a dry musty smell hung in the air, then shut off entirely. A loud bang came from behind the resistance fighters, obviously from a frustrated mechanic, which caused the lights to come back on halfway. Glancing back at the disturbance, Neo could see the faint outlines of the men following them in the shadows, his newly appointed bodyguards. He bent his head down slightly and whispered into Trinity's ear.  
"What are those guys here for?" Her face became sober, almost mask-like as she answered in a monotone-like voice.  
"For your protection, Neo. You are the One, the person that will lead us all." Trinity paused as she considered her next statement. "Besides, do you think Cypher was the last?"  
Neo repressed a shiver at her words. Trinity, noticing this, wrapped her arm around his shoulders and lightly hugged him, apologizing for her harsh words of reality. He smiled at the gesture as they entered a large room crammed with machinery and computer equipment. Trinity dropped her arm, back to her professional mode, and led Neo over to a console where a short man was standing. He said hello to the Neb's remaining original crew, then nervously extended a hand to Neo.  
"He-hello," he stammered. "I'm Flash, I'll be your operator today. Give Tank some rest." After he composed himself somewhat, Flash led the four crewmates over to a computer console built into the wall. Its lights blinked in different colors, casting rainbows of shadows on the crew of the Neb.  
"I hope your first day in Zion went well. I know that you all are tired and want to get back to your, uh, 'vacation', but we just wanted to, um, run a few tests on your powers, Neo. If that's okay with you, of course." Flash added the last part on in a rush and tumble of words, then looked at Neo expectantly.  
"Yeah, sure," Neo answered, staring at the screen.   
He headed over to the familiar loading chair in a corner nearby and got locked in, an assistant who had been hovering in the far corner of the room inserting the plug into his head. Neo found himself in the Construct, bleached white everywhere around him. He heard Flash's voice being amplified in the blank oblivion, thundering around him.  
"Neo, I'm going to load up a simple training program. You just need to bend a few rules of the program, then we'll take you out."  
Back in the real world, Trinity, Morpheus and Tank listened to the conversation.  
"Bend a few rules?" Tank exclaimed gleefully, "Hell, Neo will break the damn things to pieces!" The comrades quietly laughed together and watched Neo do exactly what his friend had predicted, all of them never aware of the man hidden in the shadow of the doorway.  
-----------------------------------  
"Sir?" He spoke into his walkie-talkie, or at least what looked like one.   
"Sir, they're going to be leaving soon."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Positive, Sir. And he definitely is the One."  
"Good. I'll have a team ready in ten minutes. Make sure you are ready."  
"Yes, Sir."  
-----------------------------------  
Neo's boots clanged against the gray metallic floors as he walked down the hall to the eating area. He couldn't help but feel confident, his earlier actions in the Construct showing how his power was growing. As he entered the room and approached the tables, Tank got up and smiled mischievously, holding something behind his back.  
"Hey, Neo," he said, "I got something for you."  
"Really. And that would be...?" Neo tapered off and sat down across from his friend.  
"Well, I know how insanely intelligent you are and since this is the most intricate machine you can handle I thought that it would be a great thing for a man of your I.Q." Tank set a large hunk of pieced-together metal on the table in front of Neo.  
"A toaster?" Neo looked up at him with his eyebrows raised. "Are you still pissed about that welder?"  
Tank never had a chance to answer, as Trinity picked that moment to come to the table. She looked at the toaster, then at the two amused men sitting on either side of the table.  
"I do not want to know."  
The three of them continued to talk and were joined by Morpheus after he was done meeting with higher up Resistance leaders. Both Trinity and the Neb's captain eyed the gleaming hunk of metal in the center of the table warily, but didn't venture to ask what it was doing there. After an hour, they split up to explore Zion and meet old friends. Neo strode out of the building with Trinity, toaster in tow.  
"You know," she told him, "There isn't any real bread in Zion. You can't use that thing." He grinned at her.  
"I am the master of the toaster. I definitely need one to keep my title." Trinity shot him 'you're pitiful' look, but grinned, somewhat astonished at the playful and somewhat corny side of the man she loved. They had started to really warm up to each other, talking more and more, but there were hidden sides to Neo she had never seen before.   
"What you need is help."  
"That's your department, isn't it?" She looked at him, her eyes flashing, then back at the sidewalks teeming with people.  
'Sadly."  
--------------------------------------  
"They're approaching."  
"Take him. Alive."  
"Yes, Sir."  
--------------------------------------  
Neo felt a shiver go down his spine for the umpteenth time that day. This time, however, he couldn't figure out why it was happening.   
"I have a really bad feeling," he murmured to Trinity, who was looking around slowly and cautiously, as she was trained to do.  
"So do I. We should start to blend into the crowd more. Something's wro-"  
Neo's head whipped around as she was cut off, just in time to see a masked person punch her sharply across the face.  
"Shit!"   
Neo launched himself at the man, realizing that more were coming in from the sides. Trinity beat him to it, though, recovering quickly and kneeing the attacker in the gut, spitting blood out of her mouth as she went. Neo went to work on the new masked men, two of them carrying what looked like stun weapons. He punched one as hard as he could, then elbowed the man behind him in the face.  
The men stunned for a moment, Neo quickly turned to look at Trinity and how she wasdoing. She, too, seemed to have the upper hand and after looking him in the eyes, motioned for them to disappear into the flowing crowd near them.  
Neo immediately ran to the mass of people and merged into the flow of traffic. Trinity turned to follow him, but her attacker snuck up behind her and grabbed her arms, pinning them behind her back. The others, now recovered themselves, gagged her with their hands, then stunned her with a gun that shot out twisting purple rays of electricity. Neo, his back turned as he ran, saw none of this.  
He glanced behind him to make sure he wasn't followed, then took refuge behind an old metal dumpster in an abandoned alley. After a minute had passed with no sign of Trinity, Neo knew something was wrong. He panted from the exertion, but still ran at top speed back to the site, his body aching from the attack.  
Neo looked into the spot where they had previously been, then started as he saw a vehicle at the end of a nearby valley illuminated by a streetlight. He sprinted down the dark alleyway, seeing the men loading his beloved Trinity into the car, her body limp. His heart contracted at the site, his rage mounting as the men kicked her defenseless body through the back door.   
Before he had made it only halfway down the alley the car pulled out with a piercing screech, the occupants not seeing his futile attempt to catch them.  
Neo dropped to his knees as he stretched out a hand towards the empty space where the car had been.  
"TRINITY!"  
Then he collapsed, exhausted, and let the darkness make the horror of the event fade to black. 


	4. Chapter 4

Official Disclaimer: You know the drill. I'm still not making any money, profit, etc. from this fic and never will. The characters don't belong to me, they belong to the Wachowski brothers, along with the awesome idea of the Matrix. No copyright infringement was intended.   
  
Author's Note: Okay, this is the last part, I finally finished it. Thanks again to my reviewers, old and hopefully new. I really have burned out my Matrix fic ideas, so it'll probably be a while before I write something else. Don't forget, reviews and constructive criticism are wanted. I really hope that this fic wasn't close to a Mary Sue, but please tell me if it is. Well, on to the story!  
  
  
Survivors-part 4  
  
By Ender  
  
Neo opened his eyes slowly, the lights overhead breaking through the blanket of fuzz that obscured his vision. Two dark blobs moved over him, and as his eyes adjusted, he could barely make out the outlines of Morpheus and Tank. God, who used the sledgehammer, he thought, bringing a hand up to delicately massage his throbbing temples.   
He couldn't figure out what had happened to him, what had caused the excruciating pain that pulsed down his body.  
Morpheus was saying something to him, Neo knew, but the intensely painful rush currently making its way across his ears prevented him from comprehending the words. Neo settled for trying to read his captain's lips, staring at him and trying to avoid the bright hanging lights that burned his vision. Neo almost made out what was being said, but at that exact moment, two more men decided to come over to Neo's bedside.   
Neo turned his attention to them and after squinting recognized the men as his bodyguards, the ones that had tailed him and Trinity when they...  
Trinity.  
Neo's mind went into overload as he remembered the day's events in a rush. Not caring about his injuries anymore, he shot up and grabbed the nearest man tightly by the shoulders, dangerously close to his neck.   
"Where the Hell were you!" he shouted through clenched teeth, realizing that sitting up probably wasn't the best idea, considering the room was spinning around him faster and faster. Tank immediately grabbed Neo's arms and pried him off of the Resistance member, them firmly pushed his crewmate down on the bed again. Neo had no strength left to resist him, but fire still burned in his eyes and shined like smoldering coals as he stared at the twobodyguards. One stepped forward as the other rubbed his neck.  
"I'm very sorry. We were ambushed, like you were. By the time we recovered and found you, they were gone. They've been planning this for a while." Neo didn't reply, then spoke again softly.   
"Where is she?" Morpheus didn't need to ask whom he was talking about. There was a certain glint in his eyes as well, his concern for his crew apparent.  
"We don't know, Neo. The kidnappers haven't contacted anyone, but the Resistance is working on tracking them down." He paused. "But, it might take time."  
Neo inwardly was kicking himself. Why couldn't you have helped her, he thought, why do I have to be so weak outside of the Matrix? The One, Jesus, I can't even help the ones I love in the Real World. What if she's, oh God, no...  
"So she could be...be.." Neo didn't finish, couldn't finish. Morpheus swiftly cut in.  
"No. There is no way that they would do that. She's too valuable to them. Besides, could you see Trinity ever being submissive to someone that wanted to do that to her?"  
Neo smiled, though he couldn't entirely believe what Morpheus had said.  
"No, I can't."  
*****   
2 days later  
*****  
Neo paced the floor like an enraged tiger, his hand coming up once in a while to scratch at the coarse, white bandage that encircled his head. Though he was feeling better than he and before, Neo's mind was still in a constant state of worry and anguish. He wanted something to happen, not this endless waiting, which he had been forced to endure since the Resistance had ordered him to stay out of the case and put him under a constant guard.  
Neo looked up at the door and observed his bodyguards, each standing on one side of the metal door. A lot of good they'll do, he thought bitterly to himself. He knew that it wasn't their fault, that the act was well planned, and they had been injured themselves, but a part of him couldn't forgive anyone for the kidnapping of his soul mate.  
As he mentally chastised himself, Neo saw the small figure of a person coming down the hall towards him. As the person got bigger and bigger, he realized it was Morpheus, heading there at a dead run. He was moving fast. Soon, the dark-skinned captain burst into the room, hurriedly flashing his I.D. at the guards.  
"Neo," he gasped, bent over and exerted from the run. "Neo, they contacted us."  
"What'd they say?" Neo asked through his teeth, his feet frozen in place.  
"They want a ransom. You. You're supposed to come to the Fourth Street restaurant, where the exchange will take place." Neo took a step towards the door.  
"Then why the Hell are we standing here?" Morpheus threw out an arm and pushed his friend down onto the bed with his strong grip.  
"Are you insane?" he whispered, down in Neo's face. "It more than likely is a trap for you. They'll capture you and kill you both." Neo stared at him, frowning.  
"Then why are you telling me this?" he growled. All he could think about was getting Trinity back.   
"We're going to try to infiltrate the building and find them. I thought you would want to know, and not be told after. But you're not going anywhere near that restaurant." Neo looked up sharply.  
"Are you expecting me to wait here, while you go and do this. No way."  
"You're staying here, and that's final." Morpheus softened his sharp tone. "You can't do her any good anyway. Let the professionals do their work."  
"A lot of good they did before," Neo muttered, adverting his eyes.  
"I know you didn't mean that, Neo. I'll return later. Don't leave this room without a guard." Morpheus, moving towards the door, looked back. He had a really bad feeling about something. "And for God's sake, be careful."  
With that he left, leaving Neo standing silent, defeated, and utterly useless, in his wake.  
  
*****  
Neo now was pacing for the second time that day, but no longer in his stuffy and constricting room. He had convinced his guards, after two hours of impatient waiting, to accompany him while he stalked the lower levels of the Resistance's headquarters, near the food halls. His stomach growled loudly as he smelled food that must've been ten times better than that crap he ate on the Neb.  
Neo turned a corner, then stopped, looking down the stark, gray hall that was filled with numerous construction devices, drills and welders creating a path through the walkway. He couldn't take anymore of this, he just couldn't. About ready to slam his fist against, and probably through, the metal wall, he picked up a sound echoing faintly down the hall.  
Looking back at his bodyguards, who were shadowing him by about fifteen feet. He could tell they were scanning the surroundings for potential threats, but it seemed like they were staring straight through him at the same time. Feeling somewhat reassured by their presence, Neo walked down the hall to the source of the noise, trying to mute his heavy booted footsteps so he could hear more clearly.  
His attention focused on the sound, Neo never noticed the men dressed in pure black uniforms that ambushed the guards behind him.  
As he neared the sound, he realized it was a chorus of panicked grunts and cries, obviously a fight of some kind. What the Hell are people doing fighting down here, of all places? Neo thought to himself as his face scrunched up in a confused look. Leaning in for a closer look through a nearby window in the polished steel wall, he noticed that the sounds had stopped, blending into an eerie silence.   
Suddenly, the door next to him slammed open and a black-haired blur shot out at top speed. Neo took a closer look and was filled with a mix of shock, confusion, and relief as he realized that Trinity, his Trinity, was standing in front of him.  
"Trinity!" Neo could barely manage to choke out her name as he grabbed her in a crushing hug that she returned in full. He broke away only to give her a short kiss, then wrapped his arms around her again. Neo didn't want to let go, wouldn't let go, but Trinity, her beautiful face slightly marred by small cuts encrusted with dried blood, pulled away.  
"Neo, we have to get out of here." She said urgently, looking into his eyes. "I only stopped them for a moment. They'll be here any second." Neo, a steely glint in his eye, took her hand after processing her words.  
"You're right. Let's go."  
At that exact unlucky moment, a man carrying an absurdly big gun burst out of the door behind them. Trinity, not missing a beat, aimed a roundhouse kick at him that successfully unarmed him and gave him what was likely to be a concussion and multiple migraine headaches in the future.   
After disposing of their main pursuer, Neo and Trinity bolted down the hall, then leaped up the stairs towards the surface of the building. A shot of a stun gun, then a real gun, bounced off the wall in front of them, narrowly missing all of the people in the hall, including the shooters. Neo realized that the people must be desperate if they were trying that with a great risk of killing themselves as well.   
Reaching the top of the stairwell, Trinity broke the lock on the puny wooden door with a well-aimed kick. Racing out into the main hallway leading outside, they found themselves face to face with a sea of guns and weapons pointed at their faces. Thankfully, Neo realized, the guns were aiming at their pursuers.  
Both Trinity and Neo hit the deck immediately, diving into the corner behind them for cover. Neo edged next to Trinity as much as he could, trying to protect her as a welder jammed itself into his side. He wasn't much help in the Real World, but he would do all he could to save her. He wasn't about to lose her again.  
After five minutes, the sounds of guns firing and people screaming, as well as the smell of smoke, had died down. Neo stuck his head up fast to survey the room and see what was happening. Trinity, though she knew they were in the middle of deadly crossfire, had to restrain herself from breaking out into laughter at the site. It looked exactly like he was a gopher poking his head out of his hole. Much better-looking then a gopher, I have to admit, she thought to herself as she looked at Neo's profile.   
Neo, giving her a curious look at the puzzling expression on her face, took her hand and prepared to pull her up. The fight was over, the Resistance fighters clearly the winners.   
Suddenly, a shape flew out from the door with a suicidal cry, bearing a knife aimed at Neo's head. The Resistance fighters, along with the returned Morpheus and Tank, had turned around and started to leave. No one noticed the assassin in time, except for the Neb's crew.  
"Neo!" Trinity shouted, eerily similar to the cry she screamed when the Sentinels were destroying the Neb. Her eyes were wide and full of fear and anger, but she was still on the floor and had no time to do anything for her love.  
Neo, frightened by the surprise visitor, was stunned for a split second. Then he realized that this was one of the men that had made his life and the life of his beloved a living Hell. Forgetting how clumsy and clueless he usually was, his eyes gleamed as he picked up the nearby welder with a growl. Hefting it up with his recently rebuilt muscles, he mashed the start-up button with his thumb and shoved it into the man's face, just in time.   
Sparks flew and a terrible smell filled the corridor. Neo ignored this, including his handiwork. Throwing the smoking welder to the floor, he walked over to Trinity and pulled her up into his embrace. It was over.  
  
*****  
1 Week Later  
*****  
  
Neo walked up the ramp leading to the newly repaired and furnished Neb, now back into his usual attire of the loose pants and scratchy shirt and carrying a small duffel bag with his few belongings is it. He could see, as he entered, that everyone was hard at work, preparing for the journey ahead of them.   
After clearing all of the paperwork related to the previous week's events and submitting to the tests to prove he was the One, Trinity, Tank, Morpheus, and himself had been released and told they could continue with their work. Once in broadcast depth, their first task was to recruit new crewmembers to fill their depleted ranks.   
Glancing up across the main deck, Neo realized that new equipment was strapped to the walls. Moving closer, he realized that the new welder on the ship had his name engraved on it. He sighed at Tank's obvious attempt at a joke. He wished that the fact that he was a horrible welder would be dropped, but he knew it was not to be.  
Now Neo passed the ladder leading to the piloting deck and saw Trinity, who was amazingly fixing something on the newly outfitted ship with a huge wrench, obviously making some modifications of her own. Neo looked he in the eye and smiled, overjoyed even a week later that she was back. She returned the smile, something in her eyes telling him that she would meet him later. Time together was going to be sparse on the ship, but they would make it work.  
Neo kept going until he reached his quarters, one of the smallest rooms he had ever been in. Despite the fact that the Neb had no room for anything, Neo was glad to be back. He even looked forward to the same boring routine and going into the Matrix again. Heck, he thought his bunk looked pretty nice, he was in such a good mood.  
Opening the door, he stepped into the space and dropped his duffel bag on the floor near the head of his bed. Looking onto the small bed itself, he noticed that something was wedged in the crack between the bed and the metal wall. Reaching an arm over, he pried it loose and held it up in front of him.   
It was his toaster.  
God, Neo thought with an inward groan, the next few weeks are going to be interesting. 


End file.
